


The Apartment

by ajoy3



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:33:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajoy3/pseuds/ajoy3
Summary: He hadn’t planned to come here, not again. He knew it was a bad idea, knew that it would upset the balance of things. Worst of all, he knew she didn’t want to see him. He was no longer welcome.None of that was news; it has been this way for months. And honestly, he couldn’t blame her.But he was drunk, and he was sad, and none of that seemed to matter.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	The Apartment

He hadn’t planned to come here, not again. He knew it was a bad idea, knew that it would upset the balance of things. Worst of all, he knew she didn’t want to see him. He was no longer welcome.

None of that was news; it has been this way for months. And honestly, he couldn’t blame her.

But he was drunk, and he was sad, and none of that seemed to matter.

Once again, her feelings didn’t seem to take priority. He knew he was a selfish bastard. If he really gave a damn about her, he would turn around and leave her alone.

But selfish assholes don’t operate like that, do they?

Despite knowing better, it didn’t stop him from coming; didn’t stop him from putting one foot in front of the other, going down the street to the house, _his_ old house. It was once so familiar, the surroundings of the run-down neighborhood blurred when he would pass by on his way to their apartment; now he soaked in the sights, relishing each footstep that brought him closer. Even in his drunk state, he wouldn’t take the feeling of going home for granted.

It was comical to think that he was happy to be back here. From the moment they had signed the lease, he had promised her it was only temporary, that he would take her someplace better, someplace with a garden out front, a place that she could grow.

But this is what they could afford, and she was happy.

Happy to be with him, even if they needed to double bolt their doors.

When he had asked her to move in together, it had been spur of the moment. He had blurted it out while they were in bed together, her small body wrapped in his arms. It was getting late, and she was getting tired. She had work the next day and she had to head back to her place. She yawned, stretching as she sat up.

He didn’t want her to go.

It felt painful, to have her leave.

He reached out his hand, clutching her arm. He brought her in closer, giving her a deep kiss.

And she smiled.

And he lost. He knew right then and there, that she was the one. That every night he wasn’t with her was a mistake. He wanted to come home to her, wanted to build a life with her. It was like the flood gates had opened, and he was unable to pace himself or stop the words from blurting out.

“Let’s move in together.”

It seemed like that was a lifetime ago. That those happy memories belonged to someone else.

Just like it felt like someone else had their hand on the door handle; He found himself turning the knob, walking through the threshold. He tried to tell himself to stop. He knew that this was only going to bring trouble. But still, he climbed the 42 stairs to her door.

The one that he had called home.

The one that he had once had the right to go to.

412.

The gold numbers looked nice against the red door. She had liked it immediately; she said the colors reminded her of him. She had joked then that it was a sign. He breathed in, trying to catch her scent. It was light.

It had been so long, so long since he had buried his nose into the crown of her hair, so long since he let himself be comforted by it. The faint fragrance called to him and it wasn’t enough. Not even close.

He knocked.

He waited.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

She wasn’t home.

She wasn’t here.

This was a sign, right? Surely this was a higher power telling him to turn around and go the fuck home.

 _‘But this used to be my home.’_ His inebriated mind argued. He can’t leave yet. He breathed in again, leaning his head against the door.

He needed her scent to fill his lungs again like it used to. He would leave her alone, if he could just get his fix of her, and then he would go.

He jiggled the handle, using his claws to pick the lock. He had done this once or twice when he had forgotten his keys, but that had been when he had lived here, when he had a right to. But this time he was breaking and entering. Even as he turned the doorknob his brain was screaming to stop. Turn around. It still wasn’t too late.

Crappy apartment. Crappy landlord replacing the locks with this cheap shit. It took no more than a minute for the lock to pop.

He was in.

It was overwhelming, being wrapped back in her. Vanilla and cherry blossoms and some sort of spice. Pure Kagome.

Once, it had been a mix of them. Their home had smelled sweet and earthy and it was _heaven_. 

It hurt to think; It hurt to think of _her._ His head was spinning from her scent, from the alcohol, from his anxiety and the need to see her. He had told himself coming would be enough, and then being able to smell her would sate him.

He was always greedy, had always been a greedy bastard. Especially when it came to her.

Closing the door behind him, Inuyasha surveyed the room, but the darkness was not giving him the details he needed. Without looking back, he blindly tapped at the wall behind him looking for the light switch. His fingers went over the grooves from where he had plastered the wall. He had been so angry then. Frustrated and jealous, in the heat of a fight that spanned from the car to the apartment, he had gone to turn on the light, but instead he had smashed his hand through the wall. Gods, she was angry. Even in her fury, she bandaged him, an angry scowl on her face. She had fixed him up just as he fixed the wall.

She had changed it; painted the walls a new color, a green, making it more Earthy than it had been before. She added new pictures to the living room. She had always loved photos, fuck, she downright annoyed him with all the pictures she took. She displayed their memories proudly then. Images of them, displaying their love seemed to dominate their home. Was he in any of them now, or did she remove any trace of him? Had someone taken his place beside her?

His eyes roamed over her image, laughing in one picture, being silly with Sango in another. Her arms wrapped around…

His ears twitched and swiveled as he heard her open the door; he turned on his heels, the movement making the room spin.

“Inuyasha?!” She shrieked.

He could hear her heart beating rapidly, could hear her trying to catch her breath.

“K’gome…” He blinked lazily, drinking in the sight of her.

“Wh-What are you doing here?! Did you break in?!”

She seemed frantic and upset. Why? Because he was here? Was that really so-

She was suddenly in front of his face, and her presence was making him dazed. Inuyasha closed his eyes to try and get a hold of his senses.

“I wanna- Wanna talk. To you.” He was stumbling on his words.

“Are- Are you drunk?” She asked, the pitch of her voice making him wince.

“Think so.” He responded, holding his head. It was suddenly throbbing. 

All of the energy seemed to leave Kagomes body. How long had it been since she had last seen him? It had been a day from Hell, and the entire way home, all she could think of was curling up in bed and falling asleep.

But she came home to find her door unlocked and an intoxicated hanyou in her living room, closely inspecting the corner of her wall.

It had taken her so off guard to see him standing there. For a brief moment, her heart skipped a beat.

It was like she had stepped back into the past.

Kagome took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she considered her options.

“K’gom-“ He wanted to reach out and grab her; hold her body close to his and make her listen to what he had to say. He tried to move towards her but fumbled, tripping over his own feet. Kagome rushed to catch him as he fell forward, then pushed him down to the sofa. Inuyasha leaned his head back as the room started to spin. He heard Kagome let out a deep sigh of frustration.

That too, was familiar.

“I’m going to call Miroku to come and get you.” He heard the foggy voice say. Immediately he shot up.

“N-No!” He cried. “I-Im- No-Not leaving yet.” He stuttered. “I have ‘portant things to tell you.”

“You’re drunk, Inuyasha. And you need to go home.” Her voice sounded final, but he wasn’t having any of it. His ears twitched as the sound of ringing stopped and Mirokus voice mail message started.

“This used to be my home.” He argued as if it made a bit of difference.

“I’m too tired to deal with this.” She said, rubbing her temples. “And you’re too drunk to be kicked out.” She paused before she continued, unsure even as she spoke if it was a good idea. “I’m going to take a shower. You can sleep on the couch for tonight.”

“B-But I got-!” He began to stand, but a firm hand on his chest pushed him back down.

“No, Inuyasha. I’m tired, and I’ve had a really long day.”

“Tomorrow?” He asked. “We can talk tomorrow.” He’d cringe at how desperate his voice sounded if he was sober.

“Sure.” She said in a defeated voice.

“Promise?” He questioned, needing to hear it. Kagome nodded in agreement.

“Tomorrow. Now go to sleep.”

~.~

The first thing Inuyasha thought when he woke up was how fucking uncomfortable he was. The couch had always been shit to sleep on. Every single time he slept on it, he paid for it the next morning. The morning coffee was perking and he could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Lazily, he wondered why he wasn’t in bed, and what the hell he had done to land him in the dog house this time.

His amber eyes flew open as it dawned on him suddenly.

The uncomfortable couch. This… this was… theirs…

He breathed in, her wonderful scent filling him.

He was home.

His mind began to race. Had be imagined it all? Was he really home? Had he ever even left?

Was it all just a nightmare that they had broken up? That he-

Inuyasha was terrified to confirm his theories, terrified to move a muscle. What if it was all true? What if being home with her was just a repeat of his many dreams?

He sat upright and the room became unbalanced. He was still slightly hung over but it was bearable. The door to the bathroom unlocked, the doorknob turned and Inuyasha’s mouth went dry.

“Kagome.” It came out like a reflex, heavy. She looked at him and gave an awkward half smile before she turned to get a cup of coffee. He watched her work, pouring the coffee into the cups, stirring in the sugar and cream. She walked over to him and he found himself mesmerized; her black shorts, showcasing her creamy legs, her feet wrapped in white thigh high socks. Kagome placed the coffee cups down on the coffee table before taking a seat on the other end of the couch, drawing her legs into her chest. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders, a sharp contrast to her loose plain white tee. It was like he never left, like he had preserved her somehow. She looked comfortable and stunningly beautiful.

“Here, drink this.” She motioned towards the cup. “It will help.” 

He reached over, grasping the hot beverage. Taking a sip, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Keh, you still remember how I like it.” 

Kagome returned the slight smile. “Well, its not every grown man who takes his coffee more sugar than coffee.” The sunlight was streaming in the windows, making her look even more angelic than normal. It was quiet after that, an awkward tense, silence that made the hanyou shift in his seat. Kagome chewed on her bottom lip before she spoke. “How have you been?”

The question seemed to take him off guard. “I-I’m okay.” He shrugged off the lie. He was _far_ from alright. Inuyasha cleared his throat. “How- How are you?”

She gave him a small smile as she averted her eyes, her apartment suddenly very interesting. “I’m alright.”

The conversation was strained, when it ha been so easy before. Talking with Kagome used to be the most natural thing in the world; she was the only person he could open up to, the only one he felt at ease with. He nodded, as if her simple sentence was something to mull over. “Hows Sota? Your mom?” He said something, anything to keep the conversation going.

“Sota just got accepted into C high school. Full scholarship and everything.” She smiled, the first true smile he had seen from her, full of pride in her little brother. It was blinding.

“That’s freakin’ amazing!” He said with enthusiasm. “I remember how much he wanted to go there. Is he gonna try out for the basketball team?”

“Mmm, he’s still not sure. He’s thinking about trying out for the soccer team, but the basketball team is already trying to recruit him.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that. He had known Sota before he even entered middle school, and the kid always had a basketball in his hand. He would practice with him late into the night, amazed at the kids stamina. “Feh, that’d be such a waste. He’s a natural.”

Kagome eagerly nodded in agreement. “Right? But he says he wants to branch out and try something new. And mama is really into the idea of being an actual soccer mom.” She said with a laugh.

It felt easy. It felt natural, like old times. “Keh, I can totally see that.” He found himself smiling. Gods, how long had it been since he smiled like this?

“I- I’m glad you came Inuyasha.” Kagome said. “I’ve been meaning to call you, but I never found the right time. Or maybe I couldn’t bring myself too.” She bit her bottom lip again, and Inuyasha found himself holding his breath. “Oh?” was all he could manage out.

“Hang on a sec.” She stood up and retreated into her bedroom, only to emerge a moment later with a small black box. She held it out to him. “Here.”

“What’s this?” he asked.

Kagome swallowed hard still holding the box out to him. “It’s your moms ring. I- I was going to ask Miroku to give it to you, but it didn’t feel right to pass off something so precious. I thought I needed to give it to you personally.”

Amber eyes bore into the little black box. “But I gave that to you.” He managed out.

She sat down on the couch once more, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “That was different. You gave it to me… you gave it to me when you proposed. It was okay for me to wear it because I was going to be your wife. But now… I can’t keep this now.” She reached over and placed it into his hand. “You should save it… for the person you’ll marry someday.” It was hard to say it out loud, but it was a sentence that needed to be said.

“But I gave it to _you_.” He repeated, his black brows furrowed.

“And like I _said_ , I cant keep it. It’s not meant for me.”

Inuyasha couldn’t keep the scowl off his face. “Of course it’s meant for you. I carried that ring around in my pocket for three weeks before I found the perfect time to propose to you. I got so fucking anxious to give it to you I proposed to you in fucking bed. I put that ring on your ringer and you cried. Don’t fucking tell me you can’t keep that ring.” He hadn’t meant for it to sound angry, but he never was one to mind his temper.

“You don’t need to remind me of that, Inuyasha. I’m very aware of what it was like when you proposed to me.” She returned his angry tone. “But it’s different now. This is your mothers ring. Its not right for me to keep it!”

“Yes it is!” He argued, pushing the box back towards her.

“Give it to your girlfriend, or save it for your daughter, or someone you love but I. CANT. KEEP. IT.”

Glaring at her, he matched her word for word. “Well I. AINT. TAKIN. IT.”

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh. “So, why are you here, Inuyasha? To argue with me?” She brought her hands up to her chest. “I don’t get what you’re doing.”

He swallowed hard, the words he was so eager to speak last night suddenly sticking in his throat. “I, I miss you, Kagome.”

Her gray eyes grew wide at his admission, as if she was shocked to hear that he would have any lingering feelings towards her. She gave a slow, sad nod, the fire suddenly out. “Yeah, I miss you too. But that’s what happens when you break up.”

She said it so easily, so suddenly it pierced his heart. It was true, fuck he didn’t want it to be, but it was.

It was true, and it was all his fucking fault.

“We’re not breaking up.” He said finally, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She clicked her tongue. “Too little, too late for that, buddy.”

“We’re not over.” He repeated. “I gave you 3 months of space, but that’s over.” He looked her fiercely in the eyes. “I wont let you go, Kagome.”

~.~

Kagome shut the red door behind her, double checking to make sure it was locked. She didn’t want to chance a drunk Hanyou making his way into her living room again.

It had been two days since he promised to see her, two days since he came back into her life, a drunk mess, promising to make her forgive him. Apparently he gave up quicker than she anticipated.

She walked down the steps, stopping at the stoop to stretch overhead. She put in her earbuds and began with a light jog. Running always put her in a good mood, somehow cleared her mind, and right now, she definitely needed an escape from silver hairedex boyfriends.

As she turned the corner to the park, another jogger sped up, then matched her pace. Kagome looked over, slightly freaked out, only to discover Inuyasha was shoulder to shoulder with her.

“Oh my god!” She cried out, coming to a hault. She placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. “What are you doing here, Inuyasha?!”

He shrugged his right shoulder. “What’s it look like? Joggin’.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes as she stood up straight, her heart rate at a more acceptable speed. “But why here? Why with me?”

“Feh.” He waved her off. “Don’t be so conceited. Who says I’m joggin’ with you?”

Kagome groaned as she put her hands on her hips, cocking her head to the side. “Just leave me alone, Inuyasha.”

“Like I said,” He began to jog ahead of her. “I just came here for a run. Can you stop distracting me now?” He asked.

Inuyasha laughed to himself as she heard her grumble under her breath.

~.~

He seemed to be everywhere she went. She went to the grocery store to buy food for the week, and there he was, waiting outside, ready to carry the bags. She went for her evening run, he was there, in his running shoes, ready to keep her company. In the mornings, he left her favorite coffee on her car. When she came out of work she would sometimes find a flower, sometimes a note.

It was confusing and painful and annoying and endearing all at the same time. As much as she hated him, she loved him. As much as she wanted to forgive him, to have him come back into her life, into their home, into her bed, it was like their was a rock in her gut preventing her from moving forward. She wanted him, and wanted to push him away, all at once. The past three months he had been away, given her plenty of space, and it wasn’t exactly easy, but anything was easier than this. Than him following her around, being kind and funny, making it all too easy to fall into a routine with him once again.

Today he was sitting in her hallway, _their_ old hallway, his back against her red door. He had a brown bag by his side. Kagomes mouth watered- she could practically taste the udon he had brought.

“Why are you here?” She asked defeated.

A crooked smile broke across his face. “Why do ya think? I brought dinner.”

~.~

“Why are you doing this?” She tried not to say the words angrily, but they still came out harsh. Kagome set the take out containers on the table as Inuyasha opened the cabinets to get the plates. Just like before. Just like normal. “This has to stop Inuyasha. You cant keep showing up where ever I am, waiting for me outside of my house.” The hanyou took a seat closest to her, but she continued to stand.

“ _Our_ house.” He corrected. “And I need to. You wouldn’t answer my calls, wouldn’t talk to me!”

“That’s because I didn’t want to. Besides, you’re going to make Kikyo upset if you continue on like this.”

“I keep telling- We’re not together.” He tried, the words spilling out of his mouth. “Nothing is going on between us.”

“Not _anymore_ , you mean?” She pressed her lips together.

Inuyasha shook his head, his short silver locks swaying. “Not anymore and not ever! I haven’t spoken a word to her since that night. It was a misunderstanding. I keep trying to tell you-“

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m not interested in going through this another time, Inuyasha. I _know_ what I saw. And even-“ She looked up towards the ceiling, avoiding his gaze or trying to stop tears, he wasn’t sure. “Even if I didn’t see you kissing her, how you acted was way over the line.”

“I know.” He leaned in closer. “I fucked up and I’m so, so sorry Kagome.” She shook her head, leaning away from him.

“Is this what you came here for? To bring up the past? To make yourself feel better?”

“I came here to be with you.” He admitted. “I cant stop because as soon as I think of you, I think of how much I love you. And I cant keep myself away. Somehow, I just wind up here.” Kagome winced at his words, at his admission of love.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say to that.” She admitted. “You love me? If you loved me so much, why did you get close to Kikyo? Why did you leave our bed to go to her in the middle of the night?”

Kikyo was an old friend, an old ex. Not someone he had thought of in years, not until she ran into him at the park. Not until she wanted to catch up. Not until she poured out her soul to him, told him about all of the hardships she had going on.

Kikyo had been a pillar of support for him in high school. She had helped him through the death of his mother. He felt compelled, obligated to hear her out, see how he could help.

And it took a toll on his relationship.

At first, Kagome seemed skeptic, but understanding. But as Kikyos demands became more frequent, his fiancé made her suspicions clearly known.

But he assured her that nothing was wrong, nothing was happening. Even when she called in the middle of the night, saying she was outside and desperately needed to talk to him, he went to her. Like a fucking fool.

Kagome had followed them out, watched from the shadows as Kikyo clung to him in the dark. It was over the line. He would’ve ripped the man to shreds that dared to touch his fiancé like that. Yet for some reason, he expected her to be okay with it.

“If you loved me so much why did you do that to me? I loved you, so much Inuyasha. So much that the thought of being with anyone else never even entered my mind.”

“But nothing _happened_.” He restated. She was starting to cry and _fuck_ , it killed him. Turning away from him, she made a move to get up. Bitterly, she spit out the words that cut him deep.

“What does it matter? Its over with. _Were_ over with.”

It was as if his last will of restraint was cut; He grabbed hold of her, pinning her slim body against his. She sat snug in his lap, muscular arms wrapped across her chest. She struggled against him, but his pure strength kept her firmly in place. “Let me go, Inuyasha!” She shouted.

It had been so long since he felt her, so long since she was in his arms. “Its not over with.” He said, his face against hers. “I love you, Kagome. And I know you still love me.”

She tried to wiggle free. “I don’t. I hate you!” She screamed. “Let me go!” Kagome wasn’t afraid, she knew that Inuyasha wouldn’t hurt her. But she didn’t want to be restrained by him either.

“Nothing happened between me and Kikyo.” She turned her head to shoot him an angry look, before abruptly jerking her head away. “It was wrong of me to get so involved. Even though you warned me that she was into me… I should’ve fucking listened. I fucked up Kagome. Im sorry.”

“Doesn’t matter.” She said as she struggled. “I don’t love you anymore. In fact, I’m dating someone, and _he_ wouldn’t appreciate this.”

A sharp growl came from deep in Inuyashas chest. “That’s a lie. I can smell it in your scent. You don’t hate me, and you aint with anyone. I’ll fucking kill any guy that gets near you.”

“Let me go.” She said again, her voice firm. “I don’t love you. Let me go and leave.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “You still love me. I know you do. I gave you your space, but I aint about to let you go. I want to come home. I know you still love me, and I know you still _want_ me. Let me come home.” He moved his hand towards her chin, capturing her mouth in a fierce kiss. She bit down on his bottom lip, drawing deep red blood. The taste mingled, making the angry encounter taste bitter. But even still, she kissed him back. Kagome twisted in Inuyasha’s lap until she was straddling him. She broke the kiss, leaving him panting, wanting, only to slap him hard across his right cheek.

“I’m so mad at you!” She panted. “I hate you.” She ground her teeth.

Inuyasha shook his head. “You love me. Just like I love you.”

Another slap. Another denial. He growled and she sank into him. Hot and fiery, her kiss sending pleasure straight to his core. She fingernails dug into his shoulders, urging him on, showing her rage. Inuyasha let his hands roam down her back, delighting in the feel of her, until they came to the round curves of her ass. He gripped it with both hands, squeezing and giving her right cheek a slap. She cried out and ground her hips against him. It was all he could take; after months of her absence the slightest touch from her was driving him wild. He held her tight, finally able to look her fully in her eyes.

She was angry, furious, but there was still love in her eyes. It was buried deep, behind the passion and resentment and betrayal. Underneath that all was love. He’d let her hit him until she was sated. He’d somehow temper that rage until she could be calm. But he knew if he left, it might really be over.

Inuyasha ran his tongue down her neck, nipping at the soft flesh. “I love you, I love you, Kagome.” He repeated over and over like a mantra. She moaned, a sound he had only heard in his dreams these last 3 months. “Inuyasha…” She said, her voice breathy, needy, before she pulled him in closer for a kiss.

Finally, he was home.


End file.
